The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Yochesapeakexe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Salinas, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform plant growth habit, good vigor, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time, and excellent postproduction longevity.
The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross made by the Inventors in October, 1994, in Salinas, Calif., of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Sandusky, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,369, as the female, or seed, parent with the Chrysanthemum cultivar Miramar, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,469, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross grown in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, good vigor, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time, and excellent postproduction longevity.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Fort Myers, Fla. in June, 1997. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Yochesapeake has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Yochesapeakexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Yochesapeakexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:
1. Upright and uniformly mounded plant habit.
2. Strong and vigorous growth habit.
3. Dark green foliage.
4. Uniform flowering response.
5. Can be grown as either a disbud or natural spray-type.
6. Early flowering, eight-week response time.
7. Very freely flowering when grown as a natural spray-type.
8. Large daisy-type inflorescences that are about 7.4 cm in diameter when grown as a natural spray-type and about 10.3 cm in diameter when grown as a disbud-type.
9. Bright golden yellow ray florets and slow-maturing disc florets.
10. Excellent postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for about three to four weeks in an interior environment.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Sandusky. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventors in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Sandusky in the following characteristics:
1. When grown as disbud-types, plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Sandusky.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have a more uniform spray formation than plants of the cultivar Sandusky.
3. Ray floret color of the new Chrysanthemum is bright golden yellow whereas ray floret color of the cultivar Sandusky is clear yellow.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar Miramar. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventors in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Miramar in the following characteristics:
1. Inflorescences of the new Chrysanthemum appear to be fuller than inflorescences of the cultivar Miramar as ray florets of the new Chrysanthemum have short corolla tubes whereas ray florets of the cultivar Miramar have longer corolla tubes which give a gappy appearance to the inflorescences.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about one week earlier than plants of the cultivar Miramar.
3. Ray floret color of the new Chrysanthemum is bright golden yellow whereas ray floret color of the cultivar Miramar is clear yellow.
4. Inflorescences of the new Chrysanthemum produce little to no pollen whereas inflorescences of the cultivar Miramar produce abundant pollen.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yobutterfield, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/525,654. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventors in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Yobutterfield in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Yobutterfield.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be grown as either disbud or natural spray-types whereas plants of the cultivar Yobutterfield are not suitable for production a disbud-type.
3. Ray floret color of the new Chrysanthemum is bright golden yellow whereas ray floret color of the cultivar Yobutterfield is clear yellow.
4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more outwardly spreading than plants of the cultivar Yobutterfield.